Digital images are made up of a number of channels, usually red, green and blue in digital photography. These red, green and blue channels combine to produce a full-color RGB image. An image of an object wherein the visible background is removed is called a background separated image. The object is separated from its background by making the background transparent. A known technique for creating a background separated image makes use of alpha channels. Alpha channels are masks through which digital images can be displayed. The alpha channel is e.g. an 8-bit channel, in which case it can have 256 levels of gray from 0 (black) to 255 (white). White pixels define the area in the image that is to remain visible. Black defines the area in the image that is to be transparent. The level of gray in between determines the level of visibility, also known as opacity. For example, 50 percent gray allows for 50 percent visibility. Alpha channels are typically used with full-color RGB images. The resulting background separated image is a RGBA image, i.e. RGB+A, wherein ‘A’ means alpha channel.
Images of fashion related products are typically used in advertisements, catalogs and online shops for promotion and sales purposes. It is preferred to use high quality images to give potential customers a good impression of the products. Attributes of high quality images of fashion related products include excellent image details, clear product edges and the absence of a visible background. The absence of the visible background allows the image to be superimposed on any existing digital image, while retaining texture and fabric details of the photographed product.
Conventionally, photography studios are used to achieve high quality images. The photography studio employs specialists who are experts in generating high quality images of products, such as apparel products. Before taking a picture the specialist carefully positions the product in front of the camera and adjusts the lighting. After taking the picture, the digital image is manually manipulated by clicking along segments of the edges of an object depicting the product on a computer screen to define an outline of the object so that the object can be separated from its background. Manual graphic editing tools are used to separate the object from its background and possibly to further enhance the image. This process of photographing is often time-consuming and costly, requiring a skilled and well trained specialist.
There is a need for an improved imaging apparatus for photographing products, particularly fashion related products, which enables users without specialized skills in photography to obtain background separated images of the products.